A burn is a type of injury to flesh cause by heat, electricity, friction, radiation, chemicals, or light. Burns usually do not penetrate the dermis but it is possible for a burn to go all the way to the bone.
Treatment can range from using basic first aid kit materials to requiring attention from a burn center where a skin graft may be used. A skin graft is the use of healthy skin from another part of the body to replace severely damaged or completely destroyed skin that is somewhere else on the body.
Partial thickness burns, such as second degree burns, only penetrate into the dermis and not necessarily throughout the entire layer of tissue. Full thickness burns, however, extend through the entire dermis, and in extreme cases, through subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and bone.
Complications:
Infections - Infection is a common major concern for burn victims. With the epidermis and possibly the entire dermis destroyed, the body has no protective barrier to keep out bacteria and other pathogens. Burns are typically sterile for the first 24 hours, after this time period, the risk for infection increases drastically.
Desiccation- Desiccation, or dehydration, is another common concern. In severe and widespread burns, fluid is lost through the skin, potentially resulting in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance (can lead to shock). The absence of skin and its layers again play a major role in this complication. the skin acts as an envelope that holds in a body's moisture, and with it no longer there, fluid can continue to be lost until eschar forms. Fluids must be administered through an IV to make up for the loss.
- A common way to estimate the amount of fluid lost, and the surface area of burned skin is through the "Rule of Nines."
Picture of the Rule of Nines used to evaluate burn victims
A burn is a type of injury to flesh cause by heat, electricity, friction, radiation, chemicals, or light. Burns usually do not penetrate the dermis but it is possible for a burn to go all the way to the bone.
Treatment can range from using basic first aid kit materials to requiring attention from a burn center where a skin graft may be used. A skin graft is the use of healthy skin from another part of the body to replace severely damaged or completely destroyed skin that is somewhere else on the body.
Partial thickness burns, such as second degree burns, only penetrate into the dermis and not necessarily throughout the entire layer of tissue. Full thickness burns, however, extend through the entire dermis, and in extreme cases, through subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and bone.
Complications:
Infections - Infection is a common major concern for burn victims. With the epidermis and possibly the entire dermis destroyed, the body has no protective barrier to keep out bacteria and other pathogens. Burns are typically sterile for the first 24 hours, after this time period, the risk for infection increases drastically.
Desiccation - Desiccation, or dehydration, is another common concern. In severe and widespread burns, fluid is lost through the skin, potentially resulting in dehydration and electrolyte imbalance (can lead to shock). The absence of skin and its layers again play a major role in this complication. the skin acts as an envelope that holds in a body's moisture, and with it no longer there, fluid can continue to be lost until eschar forms. Fluids must be administered through an IV to make up for the loss.
- A common way to estimate the amount of fluid lost, and the surface area of burned skin is through the "Rule of Nines."